Data guidesPlus exclusive

iCloud sync

Keep your Clips records continuous across Apple devices

Learn how to sync Clips records with iCloud, and how to read the on-screen status and take any needed action.

What is iCloud sync?

iPhone (and supported Apple device) users with Clips Plus can sync photos, videos, tags, and folders to their personal iCloud.

By default, Clips stores records on the current device. Turning on iCloud sync lets you continue those records across devices, and restore data synced to iCloud after reinstalling the app or switching devices.

What gets synced?

These items sync together to iCloud.

Photos and videos (clips)
Tags
Folders

When sync is on, additions, edits, and deletions on one device also appear on other devices that use the same Apple Account and have iCloud sync enabled.

Getting started with iCloud sync

In the device Settings, confirm the Apple Account you want to use and that iCloud is available.
In Clips, go to Settings → Storage & iCloud and turn on iCloud sync. Clips Plus is required.
Stay connected to a network and check sync progress. On other devices, turn on sync with the same Apple Account as well.

Understanding iCloud status

The logo area in the gallery top bar briefly shows the current sync status. Checking, Syncing, Waiting to retry, and Retry shortly usually resolve if you wait. If you see Needs attention, check the details.

If you use Clips Plus and iCloud sync is on, tap the logo or status in the gallery top bar for more detail. Action buttons are in Settings → Storage & iCloud.

Top-bar status guide

Top-bar display
Clips logo shown
Current status
No separate status is shown. This appears when sync is off, you are not using Plus, or a short task is waiting.
What should I do?
For a full “complete” status, check the current status on the detail screen together with Last iCloud check. If sync is off, you can turn it on in Storage & iCloud.
Top-bar display
Needs attention
Current status
Your account cannot use iCloud, sync has been interrupted repeatedly, or items could not be recovered automatically—your confirmation is needed.
What should I do?
Check the explanation in Settings → Storage & iCloud, then follow the cause-by-cause guidance below.
Top-bar display
Checking
Current status
Clips is checking the latest state of your iCloud account or records. This can also appear after launching or updating the app.
What should I do?
Stay connected to a network and wait a moment.
Top-bar display
Waiting to retry
Current status
Waiting to retry items that were not processed earlier.
What should I do?
Usually you can just wait. On the detail screen, check the time for Next automatic retry.
Top-bar display
Sync complete
(then logo)
Current status
Uploading this device’s changes, checking and applying iCloud changes, and any needed checks are all finished.
What should I do?
No action needed. The complete indicator appears briefly, then returns to the Clips logo.
Top-bar display
Syncing
Current status
Fetching and applying changes from other devices, or uploading this device’s changes to iCloud.
What should I do?
Keep the app and network available and wait. Large numbers of photos and videos can take longer.
Top-bar display
Retry shortly
Current status
Items that failed due to a temporary error or iCloud request limits will be retried automatically.
What should I do?
Usually you can just wait. On the detail screen, check Next automatic retry, or tap Retry now if available.

Top-bar display	Current status	What should I do?
Clips logo shown	No separate status is shown. This appears when sync is off, you are not using Plus, or a short task is waiting.	For a full “complete” status, check the current status on the detail screen together with Last iCloud check. If sync is off, you can turn it on in Storage & iCloud.
Needs attention	Your account cannot use iCloud, sync has been interrupted repeatedly, or items could not be recovered automatically—your confirmation is needed.	Check the explanation in Settings → Storage & iCloud, then follow the cause-by-cause guidance below.
Checking	Clips is checking the latest state of your iCloud account or records. This can also appear after launching or updating the app.	Stay connected to a network and wait a moment.
Waiting to retry	Waiting to retry items that were not processed earlier.	Usually you can just wait. On the detail screen, check the time for Next automatic retry.
Sync complete (then logo)	Uploading this device’s changes, checking and applying iCloud changes, and any needed checks are all finished.	No action needed. The complete indicator appears briefly, then returns to the Clips logo.
Syncing	Fetching and applying changes from other devices, or uploading this device’s changes to iCloud.	Keep the app and network available and wait. Large numbers of photos and videos can take longer.
Retry shortly	Items that failed due to a temporary error or iCloud request limits will be retried automatically.	Usually you can just wait. On the detail screen, check Next automatic retry, or tap Retry now if available.

If the detail screen shows Safely checking iCloud data, Clips is verifying your library and iCloud data after an update. Processing continues the next time you open the app even if it was closed, so please wait a moment.

When multiple statuses overlap, the one that needs your attention first is shown. Progress percent and estimated completion time are not displayed. If iCloud has temporarily limited requests, Retry now is disabled—wait until the shown retry time.

What if I see “Needs attention”?

Follow the explanation shown in Settings → Storage & iCloud. Recovery buttons are on that screen, not in the gallery top panel.

Detail message or situation
iCloud account needs attention
Meaning
Sign-in or iCloud availability needs to be checked.
What to do
In the device Settings, confirm Apple Account sign-in, iCloud status, and network, then open Clips again.
Detail message or situation
Please check your iCloud account
Meaning
A different account than before was detected, so sync was paused.
What to do
Confirm this is the account you want to use, then tap Use this iCloud account. Changes from that account are fetched first, then sync continues.
Detail message or situation
Sync stopped due to repeated interruptions
Meaning
The same work kept getting interrupted, so automatic sync was paused.
What to do
Tap Restart sync to retry from the interrupted step.
Detail message or situation
Items that could not be recovered automatically
Meaning
Some items still could not be processed after multiple attempts.
What to do
Tap Check again to retry those items. If they are not resolved, the status returns to needing attention.

Detail message or situation	Meaning	What to do
iCloud account needs attention	Sign-in or iCloud availability needs to be checked.	In the device Settings, confirm Apple Account sign-in, iCloud status, and network, then open Clips again.
Please check your iCloud account	A different account than before was detected, so sync was paused.	Confirm this is the account you want to use, then tap Use this iCloud account. Changes from that account are fetched first, then sync continues.
Sync stopped due to repeated interruptions	The same work kept getting interrupted, so automatic sync was paused.	Tap Restart sync to retry from the interrupted step.
Items that could not be recovered automatically	Some items still could not be processed after multiple attempts.	Tap Check again to retry those items. If they are not resolved, the status returns to needing attention.

What do the numbers and times on the detail screen mean?

Display
Syncing
Meaning
Number of items currently uploading or applying another device’s changes to this device.
Display
Waiting to upload
Meaning
Number of items with changes still waiting to be sent from this device to iCloud.
Display
Automatic retry
Meaning
Number of items Clips will retry after a temporary failure.
Display
Needs attention
Meaning
Number of items that need a check because automatic recovery did not resolve them. Account issues or repeated interruptions may appear without a count.
Display
Next automatic retry
Meaning
When failed work will be tried again. This is not an estimated time for sync to finish.
Display
Last iCloud check
Meaning
When sync and any needed checks were last confirmed as complete. This is different from a simple last-upload time.

Display	Meaning
Syncing	Number of items currently uploading or applying another device’s changes to this device.
Waiting to upload	Number of items with changes still waiting to be sent from this device to iCloud.
Automatic retry	Number of items Clips will retry after a temporary failure.
Needs attention	Number of items that need a check because automatic recovery did not resolve them. Account issues or repeated interruptions may appear without a count.
Next automatic retry	When failed work will be tried again. This is not an estimated time for sync to finish.
Last iCloud check	When sync and any needed checks were last confirmed as complete. This is different from a simple last-upload time.

Even if waiting or failed items show 0, sync may not be complete. Account checks or iCloud data verification may still be pending, so also read the current status title and description.

When nothing is in progress and the account is available, you can tap Sync now to check for the latest changes and upload. If sync is already running, no separate action button is shown.

Recommended if you

Use both iPhone and iPad and want work records to continue across them
Want to keep Clips data after reinstalling the app or switching devices
Want to keep device storage light while keeping records safe

Device storage is managed too

With iCloud sync, storage optimization can reduce how much space Clips uses on the device while keeping originals in iCloud.

A cloud icon on a gallery thumbnail means the original is in iCloud and not currently on this device. Unlike the top-bar sync status, this shows where that clip is stored.

Originals that exist only in iCloud cannot be downloaded while sync is off. Check the in-app guidance before turning sync off.

FAQ

Can I use iCloud sync for free?

No. iCloud sync is a Clips Plus feature.

Does it work on Android?

iCloud sync is available on Apple devices (such as iPhone).

Does auto-delete also apply to iCloud?

Yes. When deletion runs, it is synced to iCloud as well. See the guide below for details.

Auto-delete older clips

How does default storage work?

By default, Clips stores data locally on the current device. See the guide below for details.

Storage and backupIncludes Plus

Key takeaways

Clips Plus users can sync photos, videos, tags, and folders to iCloud.
You can continue using the same data across multiple Apple devices.
Status indicators show sync progress and any actions you need to take.
You can restore records synced to iCloud and manage device storage more efficiently.